1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for notifying a printing result of image data received through a network communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image communication apparatus, such as a facsimile (FAX) machine, is provided with an acknowledge function that enables a sender of image data to check, when the sender transmits the image data from a transmitting-side image communication apparatus (hereinafter, “transmitting apparatus”) to a receiving-side image communication apparatus (hereinafter, “receiving apparatus”), whether the transmitted image data has normally reached the receiving apparatus. With use of the acknowledge function, acknowledge information containing information about whether the image data transmitted from the transmitting apparatus has normally reached the receiving apparatus or transmission has been interrupted while the receiving apparatus has been receiving the image data can be sent from the receiving apparatus to the transmitting apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-151957 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-174973).
As described above, the conventional image communication apparatus enables the sender of the image data to check whether the image data has normally reached the receiving apparatus. However, the acknowledge function installed in the conventional image communication apparatus is capable of notifying the transmitting apparatus of only information about whether the receiving apparatus has normally received the image data. Therefore, with the conventional communication apparatus, the sender of the image data cannot check the quality of an image of the image data printed by the receiving apparatus.